The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-07-06
T~ENNYSON'S EARLY LOVE.
The Original of Maud" and tho Hero
In0 of "LOcksIcY HnlI.n

Tho Original OF MAUD" and tho Hero
ino of "LocksIcy Hail."
Those who are familiar with tho story
Of Alfred Tcnnyson's life dhc new name
docs not suit him so well as the oldD will
smile on reading his latest work, Locks
ley Hall Sixty Years After" over tho
spirit of self deception which runs
throughout the verses. To the world
Maud and "Lockslcy HALL arc beau
tful poems only. A few know that they
are something moro than poems of tho
lmagination-thcy are heart records. In
the sequel to "Lockslcy Hail." lust pub
lished, the poet tells his grandson that he
could never lave loved q wording like
judith, who has played such sad havoc
with the susceptible youths feelings. but
this is precisely what he did. When AL
fred TennySOn was a promising Young
poet crowned with OXford's academic
~laurcls, he woocd his first cousin, tho
story of which wooing he afterwards
wovc into beautiful verse and gave to tho
world. Another sutton, the wealthy heir
to the carldom of Boync, however, APP
pcared on the scene and the fair Amy,
afterwards SO literally adicctived as
false and scrvilc," became a pccrcss.
Lord Boyne, who is the owner Of large
estates and valuable coal mines in Ito
county of Durham, the heart Of tho
northern coal fields of England, freely
extended his hospitality to his brides
cousin Mt Brauccpcth castle, a modern
but imposing mansion. Tho poet repaid
the kindness by satirizing the good
naturcd peer. his brand new title and his
recently acquired wealth most mcrcilcssly
i'll MAUD" and "Lockslcy Hail." In
dependent of his wifc's very natural in
dignation, Lord Boync was not gratificd
to find his beautiful homo described by a
recent guest as Il 'gcwgaw" castle. or ut
having the world informed in verse, how
ever harmonious, that his wealth had
come from the sweat OF miners; neither
did he enjoy the thought that the tongues
of the world were wagging over the
story Of his money having bought him q
wife who preferred another lover. 1t is
possible. too, he failed to see the beauty
OF those Rcmbrandt-liko touches wherein
he Is described as n clown and drunken.
1t might be beautiful poetry, the out
ragged host urged, but it was not good
taste, and it was not true. His lordship
Is certainly one Of the most
place and unintercsting of peers or Of
commoncrs, but he is neither coarse nor
drunken, II BranCcpcth castle with its
shivering larches knew Tennyson no
more.
MIR. Tcnnvson's wounds healed like
those OF many another lovcSick swain
whose limited faculty Of expression could
not lead him into such betrayal of the
Larcs and Pcnates; but popular as he is
as a poet, he has never gone to the hearts
of the English people. In his early days
he was radical to the core, and his verses
overlooked with the best instincts of hu-
mainly. Time ias brought him wealth
and he has accepted a pccragc, from
which it is safo TO assume that he no
longer feels that contempt for new titles
which he did in the days when he LAM
pooncd his successful rival. In reading
his latest production one is reminded Of
q amous mot, applied by a wit to an
ovcrpraiscd noblcman: Il heard YOU
were a lord among wits, but | find YOU
are only q wit anon lords" Alfred
Tcnnyson was ono n lord among poets:
his new volume has proved him merely a
poet among lords.-Ncw York World.